Mayfield Heights approves zoning changes on Lander Road

Mayfield Heights City Council approved an ordinance for a zoning change of four parcels of land on Lander Road at the regular meeting of council April 14.
The ordinance passed 6-1, with council President Gayle Teresi and council members Susan Sabetta, Joseph Mercurio, Paul Sciria, Robert DeJohn and Donald Manno for the change, and Councilman Nino Monaco against.
Council also held a public forum immediately before the regular meeting to discuss the changes.
The zoning change will be from a U-7 Headquarters or Executive Offices Park District to a U-8 Office, Engineering, Medical and Research Building District.
Addresses 2096, 2106, 2110 and 2120 Lander Road will be subject to the change.
Monaco said during the meeting he is worried that the zoning change would allow for future zoning changes in the area, which could allow for a hospital or clinic to be built in the future.
“I do not believe residents would want a hospital in that area,” he said.
Other members of council disagreed, and said the space would not be big enough.
“I think the change is a good fit for what is going to go in there,” Mayor Anthony DiCicco said. “As a U-7, the land could not be developed because of the size of the property and the setbacks. We really couldn’t fit anything back there, so with the change, the property can be developed. The area has a residential feel to it, and I think this business will have the lowest impact to the residents around the new business.”
The proposed business for the newly zoned parcels of land will be skilled nursing facility.
“It will be focused on short-term medical rehabilitation patients,” said Graham Phillips, chief development officer at Atrium Centers Inc., the parent company that will operate the building. “We will have some long-term patients, but we want to focus on getting people back out into the community.”
The name of the new facility has yet to be determined, he said.
According to minutes from a Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 17, the proposed facility will have 54 beds, and will be a single-story building with a central courtyard that will span 4.27 acres.
“It will be a licensed skilled care facility … (and) patients typically will come from a hospital for a 20-30 day stay for things such as a hip replacement or pneumonia,” according to the minutes. “They will specialize in physical, occupational and speech therapy. There will be 24-hour care in the facility.”
The site plan will need to be approved by the city’s Architectural Board of Review.
“The next steps for us will be to submit the official site plans to the city and then we will get everything approved with the Department of Health,” Phillips said. “We hope to break ground end of summer or early fall.”
He said a new care facility would be a good asset to the city and the surrounding communities.
“This area is growing in need, but with less facilities available,” Phillips said. “The proximity to Hillcrest Hospital and other hospitals … worked out really nice. We picked Mayfield Heights because we had discussions with several other cities and a discussion with Mayor DiCicco, and we felt like this was the right place to do it.”